BAE Systems Joins RAINS Homeland Security Coalition.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- RAINS (Regional Alliances for Infrastructure and Network Security) today announced that BAE Systems, a global leader in national security, aerospace and information systems, has joined RAINS, a private/public alliance focused on promoting the development and use of technology for homeland security and public safety. Headquartered in Rockville, Md., with 30,000 employees nationwide, BAE Systems provides and supports innovative capabilities-based solutions for U.S. Defense, Intelligence and Homeland Security customers.

"BAE Systems is an important addition to our growing coalition of technology companies and homeland security leaders," said RAINS Executive Director Fred Granum. "BAE Systems' commitment to security and global technology and positioning is a perfect fit for RAINS' national coalition of leading technology companies, non-government organizations and local, state and federal government entities."

"The RAINS coalition is a unique enterprise with a successful track record for bringing together the public and private sectors for the common goal of increasing homeland security and public safety," said Michael Wells, vice president of Homeland Security for BAE Systems in Reston, Va. "There is excellent synergy with our mission to innovate for a safer world, and we felt it was imperative that we join the RAINS coalition. BAE Systems looks forward to supporting the RAINS homeland security coalition's growth and national influence."

RAINS' Connect & Protect(TM) program, based on RAINS-Net technology, is a highly secure operational network for alert notification and sensitive information sharing that is gaining national momentum and was recently named one of five finalists for the 2004 Mitretek Innovations Award in Homeland Security from the Ash Institute at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. RAINS has deployed various information sharing systems in concert with the Department of Defense, the Transportation Security Administration, and in local and state governments, and is actively promoting the exchange of sensitive information in those communities to enhance public safety. Some of these recent programs include the Regional Maritime Security Coalition for the Transportation Security Administration along the Columbia and Snake Rivers; the Oregon Office of Emergency Management to connect five Oregon counties with the state's Emergency Management Office; and the Multnomah County Office of Emergency Management to enhance the county's emergency management system.

About BAE Systems

BAE Systems is an international company engaged in the development, delivery and support of advanced defense and aerospace systems in the air, on land, at sea and in space.

BAE Systems North America is one of America's foremost national security, aerospace and information systems companies. It is a leading provider of electronic and information-based systems and knowledge-based solutions that meet its customers' mission effectiveness and operational safety needs. BAE Systems North America employs more than 30,000 people at sites across the United States and the United Kingdom and generates more than $5 billion in annual sales.

About RAINS

RAINS is a non-profit, private/public alliance formed to accelerate development and deployment of innovative technology for homeland security. RAINS has forged alliances with over 60 technology companies, multiple research universities, critical infrastructure providers, federal, state, and local agencies, and first responders. Founded in 2001, RAINS is a real-world working model for information sharing, supporting the government mandate to move from a "need to know" to "need to share" emergency communications framework. For more information on RAINS, visit www.rainsnet.org.